Alcoholic counselor vs alcohol and drug counselor

The differences between alcoholic counselors and alcohol and drug counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both an alcoholic counselor and an alcohol and drug counselor. Additionally, an alcohol and drug counselor has an average salary of $45,758, which is higher than the $43,635 average annual salary of an alcoholic counselor.

The top three skills for an alcoholic counselor include social work, discharge planning and AOD. The most important skills for an alcohol and drug counselor are patients, social work, and crisis intervention.

Alcoholic counselor vs alcohol and drug counselor overview

	Alcoholic Counselor	Alcohol And Drug Counselor
Yearly salary	$43,635	$45,758
Hourly rate	$20.98	$22.00
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	27,287	77,461
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	6	6

Alcoholic counselor vs alcohol and drug counselor salary

Alcoholic counselors and alcohol and drug counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Alcoholic Counselor	Alcohol And Drug Counselor
Average salary	$43,635	$45,758
Salary range	Between $32,000 And $58,000	Between $30,000 And $68,000
Highest paying City	-	Santa Rosa, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	Montage Health
Best paying industry	-	Professional

Differences between alcoholic counselor and alcohol and drug counselor education

There are a few differences between an alcoholic counselor and an alcohol and drug counselor in terms of educational background:

	Alcoholic Counselor	Alcohol And Drug Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	Hunter College of the City University of New York	California State University - Long Beach

Alcoholic counselor vs alcohol and drug counselor demographics

Here are the differences between alcoholic counselors' and alcohol and drug counselors' demographics:

	Alcoholic Counselor	Alcohol And Drug Counselor
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 51.3% Female, 48.7%	Male, 37.5% Female, 62.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 4.6% White, 63.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 4.6% White, 63.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between alcoholic counselor and alcohol and drug counselor duties and responsibilities

Alcoholic counselor example responsibilities.

Conduct group check-in and co-lead group psychotherapy sessions to help clients identify and manage problems associate with psychiatric conditions.
Facilitate substance abuse group counseling sessions to assist patients in recognizing causal factors of substance abuse and in developing coping behaviors.
Collaborate with peers in leadership capacity at recreational summer camp leading, coordinating and organizing daily activities and weekly field trips.

Alcohol and drug counselor example responsibilities.

Plan and implement follow-up and aftercare programs for clients to be discharge from treatment programs.
Practice cognitive behavioral, motivational enhancement and structural family therapy.
front office, counseling and aftercare.
Administer UA test onsite and send out.
Improve IOP successful completion rate while facilitating seven groups per week.
Collect and organize statistical data as required by DASA, and NEWTA.

Alcoholic counselor vs alcohol and drug counselor skills

Common alcoholic counselor skills

Social Work, 44%
Discharge Planning, 14%
AOD, 13%
Treatment Services, 9%
Mental Health, 7%
Intake Process, 3%

Common alcohol and drug counselor skills

Patients, 15%
Social Work, 11%
Crisis Intervention, 8%
Rehabilitation, 7%
Substance Abuse Treatment, 6%
Treatment Services, 6%

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Alcoholic Counselor
Alcoholic Counselor vs Alcohol And Drug Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

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